Ground Swell Capital LLC Acquires Shares of 1,575 Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ground Swell Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 1,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $439,000. Marriott International accounts for approximately 0.7% of Ground Swell Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 263,638 shares of the company's stock worth $65,540,000 after acquiring an additional 4,301 shares in the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $211,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 320 shares of the company's stock valued at $89,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 158.5% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 41,039 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,447,000 after acquiring an additional 634 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total transaction of $292,463.92. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. This represents a 18.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $257.97 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $70.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.01, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $237.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $266.34. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. The firm's revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Marriott International's payout ratio is presently 28.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Argus increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $226.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $272.75.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Méridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Element Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, City Express by Marriott, and St.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MAR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.